Dwarf II Smart Telescope Review

Price: $459 (Classic Version) $595 (Recommended Deluxe Version)

The competition for an easy-to-use (suitable for beginners) smart telescope-camera combination heats up with the introduction of the DWARF II smart telescope from DwarfLab. The Dwarf II is a portable and ultra-light smart telescope with a built-in AI and can be controlled through a mobile app, making it easy to use for beginners and advanced users alike. The unit is lightweight and portable, weighing only 2.6 lbs, and has a book-like size, making it easy to carry around.

The unit is suitable for both terrestrial as well as astronomical observing and photographing. The camera saves the files in astronomy-standard FITTS format as well as RAW and TIFF formats. Notably, it has a dual camera system for both close-up (3 degrees) and wide-angle (50 degrees) fields of view. With this in mind, you can photograph both large objects like the moon as well as small objects like galaxies and nebula. The aperture is only 24mm, but the stacking feature allows multiple images to be added together to produce a higher-quality result.

The telephoto lens operates at f/4.2 with an effective focal length of 675 mm and a resolution of 8 megapixels, while the wide-angle lens operates at f/2.4 with a focal length of 48 mm and an effective resolution of 2 megapixels.

The Dwarf II can be controlled with the DWARFLAB app using your home wi-fi network and a smartphone or tablet. Its AI can track terrestrial objects during the day and celestial objects at night using its included alt-azimuth mount. It even has a go-to function for automatic pointing.

The unit is a really good choice for those who plan on observing the upcoming April North American eclipse. I highly recommend the Deluxe version overall, especially for eclipses because of the included solar filters. The tracking ability will allow eclipse chasers to set up the unit and let it do its thing while you take in the spectacle in all of its grandeur. The Deluxe version also includes a UHC filter that can filter out some city lights, giving better contrast on dimmer objects that could get washed out by light pollution.

Pros:

· Lightweight and portable

· Suitable for beginners and experienced users

· 8 hours of imaging on a single charge

· No extra equipment necessary for remote photography

· A great option for tracking and photographing the phases of a solar eclipse

Cons:

· Small aperture (somewhat compensated for by stacking)

· Camera resolution is not very high

What’s in the Box:

 

Verdict 4/5 stars

If you are looking for a portable and easy-to-use telescope for beginners, the DWARF II is a great option. It cannot produce the highest quality images but can produce pleasing images suitable for sharing on social media. Also, consider the similarly priced SeeStar S50. Or for those who are ready to move up to a higher quality unit, consider the Vaonis Vespera II Smart Telescope or the Celestron Origin.